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Woman sentenced for DUI death

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (WA)

Oct. 11--A Walla Walla woman who was intoxicated when she drove a vehicle that struck and killed a pedestrian last fall in a crosswalk on Isaacs Avenue was led from a Superior Court courtroom Monday afternoon to start serving a prison term of a year and nine months.

Heather A. Tarnasky, 43, expressed regret and apologized before Judge John Lohrmann imposed the low end of the standard-range sentence of 21-27 months she faced.

"I'm very sorry to the victim, Mr. (James) Kooreny, and his family and friends," she said. "I made the choice to drive after I'd been drinking. It's affected so many people I can't even count."

The sentence was recommended by Prosecuting Attorney Jim Nagle in a plea agreement. A presentence investigation report prepared by the state Department of Corrections also suggested the low end of the range, saying Tarnasky "takes responsibility for her actions and is accepting of the consequences."

In accepting the recommendations, Lohrmann said he was impressed Tarnasky has been "contrite and remorseful about this ugly, regrettable death." Also, Lohrmann took note she has a disabled son who needs constant care.

Lohrmann placed Tarnasky on 18 months of community custody, a form of probation, during which she's required to submit to drug and alcohol treatment at the discretion of her probation officer, and must not possess or consume alcohol or marijuana.

She also was assessed $800 in legal financial obligations. Restitution was paid by her insurance company.

Tarnasky pleaded guilty June 6 to a charge of second-degree manslaughter, admitting she caused the death of Kooreny, 77, through criminal negligence.

Police say she was driving east on Isaacs in the curb lane when her 2008 Honda Pilot SUV struck Kooreny about 6:45 p.m.Oct. 29, 2015.

He reportedly was walking on Isaacs in the marked crosswalk at the intersection of Cedar Street.

Kooreny suffered head injuries and died at Providence St. Mary Medical Center a short time later.

Tarnasky was arrested, but was released the following day pending disposition of her case.

Officials said she was driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 percent, more than twice the presumptive legal level of 0.08 percent.

She initially was charged with vehicular homicide, conviction of which could have landed her in prison for up to 8 1/2 years.

But Nagle agreed to change the charge to manslaughter, partly because she has no prior criminal history, not even a traffic ticket in this state, she cooperated and accepted responsibility.

Her Spokane attorney, Timothy Note, told Lohrmann in court Monday that problems exist with the design of the crosswalk where Kooreny was struck. "It was dark; it was raining. The crosswalk wasn't lit," Note said.

He also questioned Kooreny's state of mind in deciding to cross the road when he did, adding, "This accident may have happened if (Tarnasky) was completely sober."

However, Note said Tarnasky never tried to shift blame from herself.

But in a recently filed letter to Lohrmann, Kooreny's brother, David Kooreny, expressed anger at Note's attempts to cast blame on his brother.

David Kooreny -- who owns a business in Buckley, Wash. -- also wrote about the loss of "a kind, smart, caring, and gentle person," and lamented the "extensive and traumatic undertaking" he and his wife have endured in traveling to and from Walla Walla to deal with his brother's home.

"Jim never should have been taken from his family and friends in such an unexpected, shocking, sickening, and violent way," he added.

"Words cannot express how much we miss him."

The presentence investigation prepared by Community Corrections Officer Alison Smith says, according to a witness, Kooreny began to cross the roadway when it was not clear to do so, was wearing dark clothing and another car had to stop suddenly in order to avoid striking him.

Tarnasky told officers she wasn't aware Kooreny was crossing the road until she felt the impact.

She admitted having consumed two "pounders" of beer and a mixed drink at a bar before driving toward home. But she told Smith "she did not feel impaired at all."

Regardless, the married mother of two children "is extremely remorseful over Mr. Kooreny's death and occasionally struggles with insomnia triggered by nightmares of the event," according to Smith's report.

Smith added Tarnasky "seems to have lived a fairly conventional, responsible life for the most part, and has "cooperated with the legal process since inception."